It is possible that you, as a company executive, require personnel to complete your team. You see it as a fantastic chance, one that comes with a slew of advantages. However, even though you specifically said that you would like to recruit a person of color in the job description, as the applications start rolling in, you notice they are almost exclusively from heterosexual, white, cisgender men of a certain age and gender identity.

Then, what should you do next? Unfortunately, this often leads to recruiters blaming the job seekers: "They are just not applying! " "There just are not any qualified diverse candidates out there!" - or lack thereof. It may alleviate the sense of duty at the moment but does little to assist them to achieve their aim of creating greater Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), which has become a more pressing goal for many organizations, particularly in the previous two years.

Considering the current state of affairs, it appears that this is the case. Having a diverse workforce is viewed by many CEOs as vital to an organization's success. Businesses with a higher level of diversity have higher profitability, happier employees, outperform their competitors, and make better judgments, while companies with a lower level of diversity do so only to keep up with the latest fad or trend.

This new interest in diversity in the workplace may have come about for various reasons, but the numbers reveal that reality has yet to catch up with the ideals.

Regardless of the gender of the person hiring, men are still twice as likely to get hired as women. Only four Black CEOs lead Fortune 500 companies at the moment. Veteran employment dropped last year, and most of the US workforce is made up of non-Hispanic white people.

Despite good intentions and the reality that diverse talent is readily available, why are organizations still having difficulty locating and hiring them?

Using technology, Woods Kovalova Group can connect top-tier, underrepresented workers with world-class corporations that put DEI into action in their daily operations.

A lack of excitement for diverse candidates is not the issue, according to our experiences as recruiting specialists; instead, it is a lack of knowledge about where to look for and how to engage diverse prospects.

Many entrepreneurs have realized the importance of a more diverse workforce, but many are still employing old strategies. For example, many of the recruitment processes are put up by straight, white men and do not draw a wide range of people.

While convincing recruiters to broaden their horizons is not the problem, many do not know how to go about it differently. They require assistance.

The following are three ways to find more diverse employees.

Consult with those in your social circle.

Forgetting that you already have a team of individuals at your disposal when searching for new hires can be simple. We recommend reaching out to your current employees, friends, or colleagues to see if they know anyone who would be a good fit.

There are many ways to uncover people you might not have otherwise encountered or who may not have previously been considering a career change, but she recommends starting by leveraging your current networks. 

Better incentives are needed.

As we’ve learned, many diverse candidates are stuck in their current positions due to the difficulty they have had applying for and getting hired for new jobs in the past. No matter how difficult it is for recruiters, it is doubly difficult for candidates of color, who have often been subjected to marginalization, judgment, and microaggressions during the hiring process. To attract the best possible candidates, compensate them more if they accept the position.

Incentivize minority applicants to take on these roles by providing more significant compensation, perks, and scheduling flexibility.

Word job descriptions in a new way.

When it comes to applying to jobs they are not 100% qualified for; males are more inclined than women to do so.

By ensuring those job descriptions state which traits are required and which are not, we propose preventing this from happening at the outset.

Job criteria could go a long way toward encouraging more people to apply for positions for only 60% qualified. In addition, more candidates would apply if employers made it evident that there was some leeway.

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About Jim Woods

Overview

Jim Woods is the President and CEO of Woods Kovalova Group's Denver, London, and Kyiv offices and head of the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Practice. He works exclusively in the banking sector with senior executives and leadership teams to create a significant and sustainable impact in DE&I to create the kind of inclusive environment that allows companies to attract, retain, and get the best out of their employees and serve their communities. Better.

Experience

Jim has more than two decades of experience driving change in the banking industry around performance, growth, and innovation. He's designed and led complex transformation initiatives in companies linked to globalization, demographic changes, sustainability, shifting business models, and new technologies.

Earlier in his career, Jim served in the United States Navy, taught fifth-grade math and science, including university human resources and leadership. Also, Jim has taught at Villanova University. He has authored six business books on DE&I, and leadership.

Education

Capella University, MS in Organizational Development and Human Resources